When you're looking for an easy meal, Trader Joe's boasts plenty of cooking shortcuts. Between the variety of prepared foods and the diverse selection of frozen options, the grocery chain makes it easy for shoppers to whip up something without much preparation. The same applies to baking.
As you scan the grocery chain's shelves, you'll spot several mixes designed to simplify the baking process. The final products range from classic desserts to seasonal treats, all of which shoppers have raved about on social media. Others have even strayed from the directions on the box to create something entirely new. Blueberry muffin doughnuts, anyone?
Whether you're throwing a birthday celebration or having a cozy night at home, Trader Joe's baking mixes can make the occasion feel even more special. Here are some of the grocery chain's best baking mixes that have generated buzz among customers.
Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix
Is it really the fall if you don't indulge in at least one pumpkin-flavored baked good? With this Pumpkin Bread & Muffin Mix, Trader Joe's does most of the work for you, only calling for eggs, oil, and water. After combining the ingredients, pop your loaf pan or muffin tin into the oven for 55 to 60 minutes, and let the magic happen.
To take this item up a notch, one fan recommended topping the pumpkin bread with pecans and pumpkin seeds, and then drizzling with butter and maple syrup. Another shared that they add chocolate chunks or toffee pieces. Bake your own fall-friendly creation for just $3.49.
Cinnamon Roll Blondie Bar Baking Mix
After making its limited-time debut in 2022, Trader Joe's Cinnamon Roll Blondie Bar Mix finally returned to shelves. Available for $3.99, each box is complete with everything you'll need to make this mashup dessert, including a powdered sugar icing. All you'll need to bring are eggs, butter, water—and some patience while you wait the 25 to 30 minutes for these to bake.
"This is by far the best thing I have eaten. Ever. I bought one box and then it was never to be seen again," one Reddit user wrote. "I just bought 7 boxes, 20/10," another fan recently wrote on an Instagram post. That being said, some shoppers noted that they needed to bake this dessert for more time than the box requires.
Blondie Bar Baking Mix
A brownie meets a chocolate chip cookie with this popular baking mix, available at Trader Joe's for $3.49. Featuring semi-sweet chocolate chips and molasses powder, this beloved dessert delivers "notes of butterscotch and vanilla," according to TJ's. Just combine it with an egg and a stick of melted butter and bake for 28 to 32 minutes, depending on your preference.
"I make these when I need to take something to a tailgate in the fall and everyone raves about them," one Redditor shared. To enhance this dessert, another commenter said they're "incredible especially hot out of the oven paired with the vanilla ice cream."
Brownie Truffle Baking Mix
If you're craving something even more chocolatey, Trader Joe's carries a Brownie Truffle Baking Mix made with Dutch cocoa and chocolate chips. Only requiring two eggs and a stick of butter, each box yields about 16 servings and takes about 25 to 30 minutes to bake. The item retails for $3.49.
While one Reddit user described this item as "melt in your mouth amazing," another one called it "the best brownie mix on the market," adding that they elevated this dessert by adding half a teaspoon of espresso powder.
Yellow Cake & Baking Mix
After receiving requests for a yellow cake mix, Trader Joe's released its own version for $2.99 in 2022. Described as "noticeably richer than [its] Vanilla Cake because of the egg yolks included in the mix's ingredients," Trader Joe's Yellow Cake & Baking Mix can be transformed into many different desserts, such as cupcakes, layer cakes, fruit-flavored cakes, and doughnuts. To make the cake, just add two large eggs, one stick of melted butter, and one cup of milk.
"The yellow cake mix is fantastic!" one Redditor wrote on a thread dedicated to Trader Joe's baking mixes. Someone else, who used the mix for cupcakes with strawberry frosting, called the cake "dense and moist and perfect."
Cornbread Mix
As you're warming up with comforting foods like soup and chili this fall, consider serving them with something sweet like cornbread. This boxed mix, priced at $3.49, yields nine servings with the addition of half a cup of canola oil, 3/4 of a cup of milk, and one large egg. In 35 to 40 minutes, you should have a golden-brown canvas for countless food pairings.
While one Reddit user called this baking mix "underrated," another one said it's "way better" than the cornbread from baking mix brand Jiffy.
Blueberry Muffin Mix
Trader Joe's said it best: "a homemade blueberry muffin is hard to beat." However, making it from scratch isn't always feasible. That's where TJ's Blueberry Muffin Mix comes in. Priced at $4.49, this baking mix only requires the addition of butter, eggs, and milk, while Trader Joe's supplies the rest. Additionally, each box includes freeze-dried blueberries, which the grocery chain's tasting panel determined were "far superior in flavor and texture than regular dried blueberries" when reheated and stirred into the batter.
"The blueberry muffins are amazing!" one Reddit user commented. Meanwhile, others have previously offered suggestions for enhancing the baked good, such as adding chocolate chips, using real blueberries, or even turning it into a doughnut.